This is the first time I've hard the word "effete" applied to portrait painting. What about portrait sculpture? Is that regarded as effete as well?
Either way, I don't think 'effete' is a quality that especially excludes things from art museums in our era, is it? Are there any art critics who still use it as a pejoritive term? Are there any who still use its opposite, "virile" or "manly" , as a positive term? But thanks for reminding us about photography, Lew - and yes, I do remember a few exhibits of late 20th C. portrait photography at my local museum, most recently by Josef Karsh. As I recall, our local art critic torched that exhibit because he felt that Karsh was just applying a cookie-cutter kind of "greatness" to all the famous people being portrayed. Which is to say -- he felt that Karsh had failed to unconceal the distinct truth about each of them. >I think most contemporary portraiture is done by photographers, and traditional oil & canvas is regarded as effete. ____________________________________________________________ Nutrition Improve your career health. Click now to study nutrition! http://thirdpartyoffers.netzero.net/TGL2231/c?cp=iJ8GJxPnIOYK6raItBaNqQAAJz6c l_zTaptgNR5c8Mer1v9kAAYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAADNAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASQwAAAAA=
